Unconditionally
by soybean
Summary: [Hao x Anna] He stole her wallet, she stole his heart. And now, both want their possessions back.


_Another HaoAnna one-shot that I've been planning for a while. It's written in a similar way to my YohAnna one-shot. I hope you all enjoyed this. PS – I don't own Shaman King. And please R&R! Thanks._

**UNCONDITIONALLY**

"Pains of love be sweeter far than all the other pleasures are."

_--- John Dryden_

Thieves are slick, crafty people. They steal our most prized possessions, the ones that really matter. Pluck them from right under our noses, like money for one. Anna should know, she'd been robbed.

"So what'll it be today, Anna-san?"

"Just shrimp."

The itako had been ordering lunch, just like on any other day. The Shaman Fight raged on, and the Funbari Onsen Team was off diligently training.

She herself had gotten hungry. Coming up with torturous exercises was rough on the appetite, you know, and stressful to boot. How was she going to top her latest concoction, having them climb up the vertical cliff blindfolded with bricks chained to their ankles? Oh the pressure! And what better way to cope than to eat your worries away?

"Here you are, ma'am. That'll be a hundred-fifty yen."

Her left hand torpedoed into her jacket pocket habitually, reaching for her wallet. When her fingers grabbed thin air, Anna blinked.

'Maybe my other pocket?'

Right hand dove into the opposite pocket. Nope, nothing but moth balls.

"Something the matter?"

"I can't seem to find my wallet. Put it on my tab."

"I'm sorry, we don't have tabs-"

A menacing glare from the blonde cut off the rest of the sentence. It spoke of Hellish pain in the near future.

"-or we could just let it go!"

The woman behind the counter laughed nervously, eyes searching for the nearest emergency phone... just in case.

"Thanks."

Anna walked away with the boxed shrimp grasped in her hand. When she was a good distance away from the Chinese take-out restaurant, she peaked into her pocket, ebony eyes searching frantically for any sign of her wallet.

Being one who paid utmost attention to detail, the burn mark on the edge of her pocket did not go by unnoticed. Conclusions – and the process of jumping to one immediately with no proof – weren't usually her thing, but somehow she knew exactly who the thief was.

'Sneaky bastard of a crook,' she thought to herself scornfully. Anna spun on her heel and began walking in the opposite direction, making a beeline for the forests.

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"Hao," warned the voice. It was a menacing growl, which echoed through the trees, bouncing off the leaves and whispering ominously to the grass.

Said boy wasn't all that surprised when he heard her call out for him. In fact, he had been waiting, lying lazily on a branch of the highest tree in the forest – not that he measured or anything.

A burst of fire signified his arrival.

"Anna, to what do I owe the pleasure?" Hao greeted, now standing only a few inches in front of the itako, smiling innocently. It was a mask, a clever mask to conceal the devil within. This she knew, and she would not be fooled nor deterred from her goal.

"Give me back my wallet," came the firm command.

"Wallet?" inquired the shaman, tilting his head sideways.

"Drop the act."

Anna's patience was wearing thin – not that she was a very patient person in the first place. This really wasn't her ideal lunch. Money missing, in the possession of the deadliest threat to mankind.

Damnit, he better have not touched her gift cards.

Hao chuckled a bit, "You mean this leather device?"

He threw a small, flat pouch into the air and caught it gracefully. It was a move meant to taunt her, draw out her anger.

And by the gods it was working!

"Yes," Anna grit out, obviously anxious to have her wallet returned, "Thief. Give. It. _Now_."

The Asakura nearly chuckled at the irony. 'You call me a thief dear Anna?' he thought to himself wryly, 'You do not realize you have stolen something far more important from me. I am merely settling the score.'

But this he did not say aloud. Instead, he merely grinned cheekily and said, "After all the trouble of getting it? That would be such a waste. How about we make a deal... ?"

Anna's eyes narrowed. She didn't like where this was going, but then again, she wasn't the one in control of the situation at hand. It was a fact she detested.

"Stay with me, just until sunset."

Blunt. Insensible. She was fuming. But her calm mask never slipped. There was no way around this. It was either spend four hours with the enemy, or never see her yen, ever again. Choices.

"This is for the money. And that's all," Anna agreed reluctantly.

"Of course," replied Hao, gesturing for her to follow him into the denser region of the forests.

She silently complied, lifting her feet, which suddenly felt as heavy as blocks of cement, weighing her down. Proof that she did _not_ want to follow. But it was not her decision to make, more of an obligation. Money.

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"What'cha got there?" Hao asked pleasantly.

The two were seated at the base of a large tree, it's leaves shading its inhabitants. It had been little more than an hour since their little agreement, but she treated him no differently. Still cold, still uncaring.

He had to change that. And what better than a pure, no-strings-attached inquisition?

"Shrimp," she answered, now gazing thoughtfully at the take-out she still carried. How could she have forgotten about the shrimp? The shrimp and her empty stomach?

Speaking of empty stomach...

Anna opened up the box, and with nimble fingers, picked out a piece of fried shrimp and prepared to pop it in her mouth.

She would've, if he hadn't leaned over and plucked it directly out of her hand.

The itako was a bit surprised – okay, so a little more than a '_bit_' surprised. She watched as he chewed on the small piece of seafood.

"Mmmm, that was good," he declared, after swallowing and licking his lips.

Soon, her senses came back to her as she did the first thing that came to mind. She slapped him. Or tried to rather, but he saw her, and ducked a little. As a result, her hand scraped the bark of the tree trunk they had made base at.

"Geez, all the slapping. Is that how you usually get your way?"

She looked taken aback at first, then paused for a moment to think before nodding. Yes, it normally worked out that way.

He snorted, "Figures."

Then the bruise forming on the side of her palm caught his eye.

"You're hurt."

A roll of eyes.

"No shit, Sherlocks," Anna mumbled, gently rubbing the offended surface and wincing when she felt splinters had entered beneath the skin. It was bleeding slightly.

Hao tentatively reached for her hand. At first, she drew back and glared. But his fierce stare reminded her of exactly who was in charge here.

She caved, and let him pull her hand into his lap. With the utmost care, he laboriously drew each splinter gently from her palm.

Anna felt his hand slide smoothly against hers, as he healed her wound.

There were no traces of the injury remaining. The blonde met his steady gaze and nodded her gratitude. He grinned.

There was no need for words.

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"Hmm... looks like the sun is going down," Hao announced, as the sky began to turn a slight hue of pink.

Had it really been four to five hours?

She glanced upwards, feeling oddly at peace. It had been a while since she felt this relaxed. Being in his presence soothed her, as he softly told her myths and fictional stories he had heard from his travelings over the years. Anna felt stressless and worry-free for the first time in months.

His next request, however, had her immediately stiffening.

"One last favor... I want to steal a kiss from you."

Anna's mouth hung wide open, gaping at him. Was he serious? Did he really expect her to...

He began his teasing once more, as her shock prolonged.

"Money is oh-so-flammable, don't you think? The paper can catch on fire in a matter of milli-sec-"

Abruptly, his ramblings were cut short by soft lips on his own. It was a brief contact, but he savored this moment. Her tough demeanor was a contradiction to this sweet caress.

She pulled away roughly, having complied with all his wishes. Hao smiled, and threw her the wallet. The source of it all. Anna caught effortlessly it in her left hand, stuffing it into her pocket as she stood up.

"The sun has set," she informed him. Indeed, the sky was a brilliant mix of orange and red. Again, he only curved his lips upward and nodded.

With that, she left. She would forget this ever happened. She would forget his comfort, and his stories. Hao knew this. He knew she would be returning to Yoh, the only person she could ever truly love. And she would try to banish this memory from her mind. He sighed, and began pondering to himself as he stared at the back of her retreating form.

"You know Anna," he whispered aloud to no one in particular, "You didn't steal my heart, after all. In truth, I gave it to you of my own free will."

And there was no denying that.

Even if she did not accept his love for her, it was all right. These past few hours with her were already more than he deserved. He was grateful. He had been thoughtfully granted a taste of the itako, and now it was all melting into the glorious sunset.

_To abandon all greed, only then can one love unconditionally. And to love unconditionally, only then does one reach salvation of self._

**END**


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